Direct Sales Party Experience: Discover the Perks of Hosting with PC!

[wadesgirl]

I had another direct sales party last night. I don't host too many parties (I always tell them I DO the parties, not host them!) but wanted to share my experience. It does remind me how great PC is!

This was a "spa" party. The party itself was very fun and relaxing which was one of the reasons why I decided to book it. The other reason was I got one set of their facial stuff at 40% off. I had been thinking of purchasing it but didn't want to pay full price anyway. Well, that's about all you get for a show unless you have two bookings! When you have two bookings and over $300 in sales, you start getting free stuff. Then you get an item at half price if you sell over $700. You don't get anything from your bookings like PC offers and nothing at any of the upcoming shows.

The other thing I noticed was that it was very hard to get people to even look at the catalog! I wasn't able to get any orders before the show, no one was even interested.

Overall I am happy, I got what I wanted but I just love how PC gives so much more!

 

[chefcharity]

Im having one of those parties next week. Helping a friend get started and I also want the facial stuff at 40% off. I too appreciated our host benefits when I saw theirs. I don't know who is going to book for me to get free stuff! :-(

 

[heat123]

Yeah, no other DS company compares in my opionion

 

[wadesgirl]

Im having one of those parties next week. Helping a friend get started and I also want the facial stuff at 40% off. I too appreciated our host benefits when I saw theirs. I don't know who is going to book for me to get free stuff! :-(

The "funny" part is I possibly have two friends that would book but my sales aren't at $300 so it wouldn't do anything for me anyway!

And she did leave with a catalog!

 

[Becca_in_MD]

What kind of attendance did you have? It sounds low if your sales are below $300. Does this show that people are more interested in food and more likely to spend money on food-related products?

 

[heat123]

I had a "passion party" with 9 women. Barely reached $300 (qualified) and got $30 free products, paid for shipping and taxed on free stuff. NOt much Host rewards

 

[wadesgirl]

What kind of attendance did you have? It sounds low if your sales are below $300. Does this show that people are more interested in food and more likely to spend money on food-related products?

There were a few people who couldn't make it the day of the party. I had 5 in attendance and only 3 purchased. So I still think I did good for not many people actually purchasing.

 

[ChefMary412]

It does make you love PC even more! I have had a jewelery party and it just doesn't have the same feel as PC. We certainly chose right!

 

[littlemaisyPC]

PC benefits are the best and after my Tupperware Party last night I am more excited to share the PC benefits. The one benefit that I appreciate more now is the extra discount after the free and half off. I would love to get more Tupperware but for a discount not full price, isn't that why we host parties so that we don't have to pay full price.

 

[wadesgirl]

PC benefits are the best and after my Tupperware Party last night I am more excited to share the PC benefits. The one benefit that I appreciate more now is the extra discount after the free and half off. I would love to get more Tupperware but for a discount not full price, isn't that why we host parties so that we don't have to pay full price.

I saw your post on the other thread about this. It's such a bummer when host benefits aren't as good as ours!

 

[esavvymom]

Or even the products! It's been a long time since I've hosted a DS party...at least 4-5 years when I lived in another neighborhood. I think it was jewelry...I got alot of stuff from them...and it had a Lifetime guarantee..I just pay $5 shipping each piece. Ok. WELL, now I am noticing alot of my pieces are badly turning/tarnished! Not happy.
At least my PC stuff LASTS!Just reinforces why I don't host DS shows. I've only been tempted by Silpada and My 31 Bags....but I know my friends are all more than 30 miles, and the couple who are closer, won't come usually. (Least they've not yet for my PC parties).You'd think they'd take the example from a reputable successful DS company and model their host package after it.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

$5 shipping for EACH PIECE? That is just flippin' ridiculous!

Let me be honest ... it took me a long time to appreciate the host benefits of PC because my previous product line's benefits were seemingly so generous! We had a $25 bonus (doubled if you had $300 in sales) and 20 percent of your guest sales. Also 3 half price items for every show. (Most hosts didn't use them because they got so much free product.) And bookings ... they got a certificate to buy a $75 item at $15 at their guest's show.

But guess what? That company is NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. So now I have a customer (a friend of a friend) who has jewelry to return ... but there is no place to send returns! Before I left, I was really concerned that they were turning into Partylite. They hired a new director who used to work for PL and started to bring their ideas over to the jewelry company. So the show minimum went up to $250 and they had a "free kit program" that pressured people to have a lot of sales in their first month.

And Partylite .... you only get 25 percent credit if you have a booking. And only 15 percent if you have less than $250 or if you don't have a booking. And guests have to spend $40 before they are eligible to BUY a guest special.

The REAL lesson I learned is this ... our products are very practical and mostly very good prices. So when you get $40 and a half price item, you can buy at least 2 products and get another one for half price ... and those are worth it! No more HUGE markups!

 

[kcmckay]

Wow reading this kind of bumms me out! Once we close on house and are settled I'd intended to have a longaberger and partylite party.

I met a longaberger consultant at a craft fair last May and told her once we had a house I'd host. Thought we would have been in one sooner and I knew the stuff would appeal to me more once we had a house vs. apt. Plus I'd never even heard of them until I met her there! So a lot of people I know aren't familiar so it will all be new to them. And actually now that I think about it, I think she may have given up on me which is what she shouldn't have done! I used to get at least monthly email specials from her and an occasional catalog in the mail as well! But I don't think I've gotten either in a couple of months! Well she'll be super happy when I call her!LOL

I also love Party Lite and have a consultant friend that I want to host for.

I'm still going to host when I have the time to do so, but I guess I just need to go in realizing it's not PC benefits! I'm not sure what benefits longaberger offers their hosts. I'll have to check out her website and see.

 

[Shawnna]

I am a BeautiControl consultant...another hobby so I can get my products at a great price...I don't do a lot of shows because of time constraints but when my host doesn't reach the 300 I still give her 10 percent off and if she reaches 300 but doesn't have 2 bookings I still give her the host benefit. No, I don't make as much money, but I am still getting what I want...great products for me at a great price. PC has the best host benefits there is. I have several friends in different DS companies and ours is the best.

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

I'm doing a partylite party next week and yesterday my consultant dropped off my host packet. Before she left we ended up talking about PC and I gave her an invite to my spring open house and a mini catalog!!

Sometimes I like knowing consultants from other DS companies because you know they "get" your business. And SOO many people love Pampered Chef because of our awesome products that if they don't sell it, they want it anyway so I can count on her (and my other DS friends) to be guests at my open houses.

My upline actually does a lot of joint parties with a Tastefully Simple Consultant friend and she says it really helps her business. Good host programs or not, it's actually a great thing to network with other DS consultants!

 

[pampered1224]

The PartyLite Party I can tell you about. 1st you actually need to have $250 in sales for it to even qualify as a party! And get this, I too paid tax and shipping on my personal order. I had to pay extra to get a bonus amount of products if I wanted them otherwise what I did get was about half of what we give for a $250 party. And we do not get a discount on any order we place after that! My very good friend does this. I told him I would NEVER do it again. It was not worth the time or effort. In fact, to get to the $250 amount for him, I had to place a regular order of about $80! Let's just say that I could not even give the stuff away. It is too fancy, )I am not Martha!), to expensive, (A 4" votive holder for $29!), and well, nothing at all past the original discount from your party. And it costs a little over $1 for a votive! 13.95 for a dozen + 10% S&H 1.40 = 15.35 + .86 tax = 16.21 or $1.31 for one votive! That is insane! I can get 12 for about $6 at the dollar store and they work just as well!

 

[Jennie4PC]

I did a pearl party and you get a piece of jewelry, plus I pearl when your show hits 200 in sales. Plus 10% off your order. All the jewelry is over 50. There were 2 pieces that were 35. the jewelry does look nice. And dumb old me co hosted not thinking about the benifits well my friend took the host piece hich was valed at 80 and I got 30 to spend for free. plus my shipping was MORE the the guests had to pay.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

The problem with the PL tealights is they are in plastic cups. Dollar store candles are in metal cups so they burn too hot for the aroma metls. Unscented tealights in plastic cups are costly no matter where you get them.

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

Actually, partylite is doing a thing for feb hosts that get a qualifying show. I can get 75 candles (I think 50 are tealights, 22 are votives and 3 are barrels) for $15. So that's probably the best deal I've ever seen them offer.

I just like the networking when I host DS parties, I feel like it really helps my business.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Just so's ya know ... you have to have $250 in sales to take advantage of those specials ....and a booking. And you don't get a booking gift anymore. Lots of people book off themselves if they have to.

 

[caraighan]

I hosted a Premier Jewelry party in August. I booked off a party my husband's cousin had in July.
The host benefits were really good. I got over $300 in free jewelry and, I think, I got 6 half-priced items too.
My problem wasn't with the host benefits, but with the quality of the jewelry and the consultant. The piece of jewelry I bought off the July party was a bracelet that developed blotchy spots on it before 5 months were up. And a host from my August party bought a ring that had 3 pearls on it and one of the pearls fell off by 3 months.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I hosted a Premier Jewelry party in August. I booked off a party my husband's cousin had in July.
The host benefits were really good. I got over $300 in free jewelry and, I think, I got 6 half-priced items too.
My problem wasn't with the host benefits, but with the quality of the jewelry and the consultant. The piece of jewelry I bought off the July party was a bracelet that developed blotchy spots on it before 5 months were up. And a host from my August party bought a ring that had 3 pearls on it and one of the pearls fell off by 3 months.

I will NEVER purchase Premiere or Lia Sophia jewelry ever again! I've had the same issues with both companies, I had 2 items with Premiere, and with Lia Sophia, I had 3 items that needed to be returned, and it was going to cost $5 per piece to have them replaced with the "Lifetime" warranty. $15 to send all three piece back in a small padded mailer. I just said forget it - and I'm done with them!

 

[DEBBI]

Since we are on the ds topic anyone know anything about cookie lee jewelry

done ts before but am considering do a show with them too

 

[Deb Bixler]

I have a few Cookie Lee pieces. They are nice and affordable too. Doing another home party company show is an awesome way to study, learn and grow. And the best part about it is any food, bev, or purchase are an income tax write off... (research!)

 

[pampered1224]

Ms Bixler is right. I love Tastefully simple and I am looking a Wildtree too. But because they are food items, I do use them sometimes for parties so I can write them off as supplies.

 

[lovescooking]

I recently did a Longaberger party and their host benefits are no where close to PC.
Plus, the consultant took money from my show orders by bring her cash 'n carry stuff. She sold more for herself than she did for me. She kept saying why pay ship, tax plus you can get 20% off by getting it right now!
Most of the people I invited complain that the baskets cost too much. I ended up getting the basket I wanted at half price and had to pay shipping...no 10% discount for a year either.
She never once said that the cash 'n carry would not benefit me with my show.
I do like their products but I think I will only take catalog orders when there is something I really want.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I recently did a Longaberger party and their host benefits are no where close to PC.
Plus, the consultant took money from my show orders by bring her cash 'n carry stuff. She sold more for herself than she did for me. She kept saying why pay ship, tax plus you can get 20% off by getting it right now!
Most of the people I invited complain that the baskets cost too much. I ended up getting the basket I wanted at half price and had to pay shipping...no 10% discount for a year either.
She never once said that the cash 'n carry would not benefit me with my show.
I do like their products but I think I will only take catalog orders when there is something I really want.

I had a Celebrating Home consultant do the same thing to me. I would NEVER take cash and carry to a show. I think it's tacky and causes bed feelings with the host. I also watch that I don't talk up a new season or the outlet too much until checkout after they have given me their orders so that it doesn't affect the show totals.

 

[pampered1224]

Geez! ME, ME, ME! The one thing we are taught from the very beginning is to remember what we can do for our hosts. Taking cash and carry to me does not represent that at all. Apparently the other companies are only about the consultants! I guess that could be why I have NEVER felt obligated to go back to any one consultant from another DS company that I have dealt with. I have never gotten that feeling from them. I did get it from my Pampered Chef Consultant when I did my party way back when. I guess that is why I signed up with her instead of the Tastefully Simple Lady or the Tupperware lady!